


fascinating freckles

by pinkponyclubs



Series: the keeper and the key [1]
Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne with an E (TV): Season 01, Confused Gilbert Blythe, Diana Barry Ships Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Diana worships shirbert, F/M, Gilbert Blythe in Love, Gilbert Blythe is Whipped, Gilbert reflects on being smacked in the face, Mr. Phillips SUCKS, Or she will, Renew Anne with an E, gilbert is fascinated by her, he just wants anne to talk to him, he’s not mad about it, i hate him, poor Anne, short and sweet, what happens after anne runs away from school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:42:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28895301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkponyclubs/pseuds/pinkponyclubs
Summary: Gilbert Blythe is enraptured by the little redhead that has just smacked him into next week. After she runs away, he reflects.orwhat happened at the schoolhouse after anne runs away
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Series: the keeper and the key [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119437
Comments: 11
Kudos: 80





	fascinating freckles

The schoolhouse door swung freely in the bitter breeze that was creeping into the warmth of the building, but no one moved to close it.   
  


No one moved at all.   
  


The children sat, in an immobilizing state of shock and awe, watching Mr. Phillips’ mutinous face. His ridiculous mustache twitched repeatedly, reminding Gilbert of the time Moody has compared it to a thin gerbil.

_“Maybe he scooped one up, stuck it right above his lips, and decided it suited him.”  
_

_“He must never feed it then, it’s thinner than Charlie.”_

Mr. Phillips finally moved, breaking the children from their state of stillness. He gathered himself, his anger _(and_ _his gerbil)_ and stomped to his study, slamming the door so hard it shook the small building.

The children sat silent, for three moments, all of them still for three heartbeats, before the room _erupted._

The girls all turned and shot up in their chairs, forming their usual huddle of whispers and giggles and shocked gasps. All except Diana Berry, who sat where she was, a look of intense chagrin on her young face. 

The boys side was guffaws and exclamations of shock and mockery, both of Mr. Phillips and of the redhead orphan girl.

_Anne._

_Carrots._

Gilbert relaxed backwards into his seat as the others talked and laughed, the entire right side of his face smarting, but his ever busy brain working.   
  


_Pulling on her braid probably wasn’t your finest idea, Blythe. Definitely not gonna win you points in the gentlemanly department._

Gilbert cupped his cheek and winced, both in pain and in _shame.  
_

_You see a pretty girl and the first thing you do is pull her hair like one of the five year olds next door. Idiot._

Well, somewhat in his defense, it hadn’t been the _first_ thing he’d done. 

He’d been trying (and failing _spectacularly_ ) to get the new girl’s attention all day, running all manner of things through his brain, deciding which would be the best way to capture her attention. 

He’d thought the apple thing would work. He’d even gone into that prospect with _mostly_ innocent intentions. Everyone was being mean to her, to _Anne_. Giving her cold shoulders and mocking looks. He figured offering her his apple could serve as proof that he wasn’t of the same hive-mind the other children were. He had no intention of mocking her.

And if being nice got the funny girl with the pretty hair and the fascinating freckles to talk to him beyond just reluctantly telling him her name, that was just an added bonus. 

But she had fully ignored his olive branch in the form of an apple, and even snapped right in his face that she “wasn’t supposed” to talk to him, whatever _that_ meant. 

Never one to give up easily, Gilbert had tried again, risking getting in trouble with Mr. Phillips by crossing the room in the middle of a lesson and setting his apple on her desk. 

When she’d ignored him yet again, his usually slow to rise temper had finally flared. He wasn’t doing anything to this girl but _being nice._ She had no reason be ignoring him, so why was she so adamant about not speaking to him? 

Almost on instinct, he’d grabbed her braid. Her hair was so different than _anything_ , any color he’d ever seen before. It was enticing, all restrained and held together by two thick braids. He’d wanted to touch it and he’d wanted her attention.

So he’d grabbed it and _tugged._

She’d shot up quicker than a bullet from a rifle chamber, taller than him in his crouched position by her desk, and he’d gotten one quick glimpse of her furious, _glorious_ eyes before he was _blindsided_ by a hard force against the side of his face.

He’d nearly stumbled to the ground, caught off balance as he was, (and because _she hit hard)_ but managed to right himself at the last second, only to straighten and find himself and Anne being gaped at by every person in the room. After a heavy, shocked silence, the giggles and snickers ensued, only to be cut to silence by Mr. Phillips’ furious roar.

And then Anne had ran, and left the class and their ridiculous teacher throughly stunned.   
  


Gilbert nursed his cheek, deep in thought, and found himself unable to suppress a small grin, thinking about Anne’s furious and heroic yell that she wasn’t talking to him.  
  


He wasn’t sure why being smacked in the face and yelled at made him feel so giddy, but it did. 

  
_  
“I’m not talking to you!”_

He grinned wider, the muscles in his cheek aching slightly. 

_Should have taken that hint, Gil.  
_

Somehow he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. 

_  
_Gilbert broke from his twitterpated stupor to observe the chaos of his classmates, zeroing in on Diana Berry, who was the only student besides himself that wasn’t involved in said chaos.  
  


He’d known Diana all his life, but they’d never spoken much beyond the usual talk between children who’ve grown up together.

He rose from his desk, and crossed the room to gingerly seat himself next to Diana, in Anne’s seat.   
  


He wasn’t done with Anne. In fact, getting absolutely cleared by her anger and her slate had only intrigued him more.

Diana tensed, and then glared at Gilbert coldly.   
  


“Diana—“

”How _dare_ you!”

”I— what?”

Diana aimed the full force of her 5 feet of fierceness at him. 

“I said, how dare you! Anne has been trying so hard to fit in here, to be accepted as part of our class and make friends with the other girls, and now _you’ve_ made her a laughing stock _and_ put her in the sights of Mr. Phillips! She’ll never live this down!”

Gilbert winced again. “I know, I’m sorry. Diana listen—“

“No! _Why_ did you have to tease her? She didn’t do anything to you, and I thought you were more mature than the other boys, Gilbert! I thought you were better than teasing someone for no reason!” She carried on fiercely, still pinning him with her glare.

Gilbert tensed at this. “Excuse me, I was _trying_ to be nice, I’ve—“ 

“ _You’ve_ been trying to get her attention all day, and she very clearly doesn’t want to talk to you, in case the _slate to the face_ didn’t clear that up for you!”

Gilbert growled with frustration. 

“But I don’t understand that! I don’t even know her. I haven’t wronged her in anyway, have I? I caught up with her and Billy on the walk to school, and he was harassing her. I ran him off, and then I tried to offer her my apple at lunch. That is all the interaction I’ve had with her, but she acts like she hates me! There’s no reason for her to hate me, so why does she act like I’m repulsive?”

  
Diana seemed to simmer down some, and she sighed.   
  


“If she truly doesn’t want to talk to me, then fine. I’ll leave her alone, but I just want to know _why_.” 

“She _can’t_ talk to you, Gilbert.”

” _Why_?!”

It was Diana’s turn to growl.

  
  
“ _Because_! It’s— well, it’s a _girl thing_. Just let it go!” 

Gilbert glowered. Diana rolled her eyes. 

“Fine,” Gilbert conceded. 

Diana thought he’d get up then, and move back to his side of the room, but he didn’t move. She looked up at him, blinking at the glint in his hazel eyes that she usually only saw when he was teasing the other boys or outsmarting Mr. Phillips.   
  
  


“Gilbert—“

“Tell me where she lives.”

” _No!_ ”

”Diana, I need to apologize. You’re right, I did get her in trouble and it’s my fault. I didn’t mean to cause her any harm. I just want to set things right. And be her _friend_. Am I _allowed_ that at least?”

Diana rolled her eyes at his snark.   
  


She then paused, considering.   
  


Gilbert was a stubborn boy. He wouldn’t give up anything he wanted easily, and it seemed he wanted to talk to Anne. It wasn’t like Diana was too worried about that beyond it sending Ruby into a complete conniption. She knew Gilbert, knew he was usually kind and respectful, which had always set him apart from the other boys. Her mother said it was because Gilbert had spent most of his life taking care of his sickly father.   
  


_“The boy has been a caretaker nearly since he was a toddler. How could he not be mature beyond his years with a burden like that on his shoulders?”_

And Anne was in desperate need of more friends, and Gilbert she knew would prove to be a kind one at the very least.

She sighed.   
  


“Green Gables.”

Gilbert blinked. “She lives at Green Gables?”

”Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Cuthbert adopted her.”

Gilbert seemed to toss this knowledge around in his head. “Huh”

Then he smiled, quick and bright, and Diana was reminded of why Ruby was so fiercely in love with him. He really was dreamy.

“Well, Green Gables is practically right next door to me. Thank you, Diana.” 

He moved to stand, but he hesitated, before continuing to rise and then lean against the desk to stare down at her.   
  


“Anne....what is she...like?”

Diana blinked, nonplussed. 

“What is she _like_? Exactly what do you mean, Gilbert Blythe?”

Gilbert shifted, and Diana realized she’d never seen him look _uncomfortable_ before. He was _embarrassed_.   
  


“I mean— what is she...Does she— you know what, nevermind!”

He darted back to his desk, planting himself firmly down, not looking at her. 

Diana felt a strange mixture of dread and smugness rise within her.

Anne Shirley hadn’t even been around him a full day, hadn’t said ten words to him, and it seemed that despite that, and despite everything working against them...

Anne, by absolutely no intention of her own, had the long proclaimed dreamiest and smartest boy in all of Avonlea tongue tied and fascinated.

Poor Ruby would be sent into a fit. 

But what an adventure this might prove to be.

  
  
Diana smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> hi :) I just finished anne with an e (sigh) and now I can’t stop thinking about the show and shirbert, so have this lol


End file.
